COPENHAGEN - Denmark is opposed to Russian athletes participating in the Paris Olympics next year even under a neutral flag, the country's culture minister said on Friday according to local news agency Ritzau.

"It is Denmark's official position that we must not waver in relation to Russia," Danish Culture Minister Jakob Engel-Schmidt said.

"The government's line is clear. Russia must be banned from all international sports as long as their attacks on Ukraine continue," he said.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced last week that athletes from Russia, banned from competitions in Europe, might be allowed to participate in the Olympic Games due to be held in Paris next year.

That prompted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to urge the IOC to ban Russia.

Poland and the three Baltic countries on Thursday called on international sports bodies to ban athletes from Russia and Belarus from the Olympics, with Estonia threatening to boycott the Paris games if Russian athletes are not removed form the competition.

  - Reuters